Despite being a civilian, I have flown in a military plane before. Thanks to the military program that gets educators up in the air, I got to experience flying above a stealth plane as it was refueled. An amazing experience. But I will confess that while I enjoy seeing the planes, I can tell you very little about them, other than that they fly.
The educator in me desperately wants to be able to identify every plane by its name and characteristics. The pragmatist in me knows that this would take a lot of time. (Plus the chance of me being inaccurate is rather high.) I was definitely relieved to discover that the museum identifies all of the airplanes on their website. But I have to say that while this information is helpful, the facts are still a poor substitute for experiencing the planes themselves.
With over 300,000 square feet of display space, you can walk among these giants of flight and envision what an experience flying them must have been. Or if you are like me, you imagine being the person riding in the jumpseat. (To be responsible for such a large flying machine would make me too nervous!)
Since you may not be able to drop everything and go today, here are some more photographs that document why you should feel compelled to visit soon!
The museum architecture adds a dimension of beauty to the displays.
And oh, the possibilities to explore from one hangar …
To the other hangar!
Even the ceiling fans have propeller blades!
Reflections of patriotism intertwine throughout the museum. More on that in another post someday!
Pretty sure this would not look as cute if you were on the other end of it!
And you can view parts of NASA history as well.
While these airplanes may no longer be accessible by flight (no nearby landing strip!), the drive to see them is definitely worth it! This post just featured the airplane aspects of the Strategic Air and Space Museum. In my next post, I will be exploring the educational opportunities that the museum has for families and children!
P.S. If you did not guess where we were yesterday that might have been the fact that I mixed in both pictures of their permanent and featured exhibits. In another blog post I will be telling about their incredible new featured exhibit. The school subject that enters into everyday life in surprising ways! By the way, a big thank you to my friend, Alicia! She was the one who accompanied me on this quick photo op and gave some great suggestions as to shots that I needed to take!
[…] has encouraged new heights for all of the aircraft of this conflicted era. (Plus if you read, my blog posts from yesterday, you know how many additional purposes this museum […]